I. Field of the Invention
This invention deals with medicine and the diagnosis and treatment of certain types of blood vessel diseases and a variety of disorders which all have been discovered to have in common a condition called "Vasospasm" or "Narrowing of the Blood Vessels."
II. Description of the Prior Art
The most relevant prior art appears to be:
1. Roger P. Woods, Marco Iacoboni, M.D., Ph.D., and John C. Mazziotta, M.D., Ph.D.; Brief Report: Bilateral Spreading Cerebral Hypoperfusion during Spontaneous Migraine Headache. N Engl J Med 1994; 331; 1689-92. PA0 2. M. Hennerici, M.D., W. Rautenberg, M.D., G. Sitzer, M.D., and A. Schwartz, M.D.; Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound for the Assessment of Intracranial Arterial Flow Velocity--Part 1, Examination Technique and Normal Values; Surg Neurol 1987; 27; 439-48. PA0 3. U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,923 to Leuchter and Cook, U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,807 to Sosa et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,859 to Erwin describe "qEEG" devices and techniques useful with the invention. PA0 4. U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,444 to Braverman discusses the P300 brain waves mentioned below. PA0 a) testing by determining rate of blood flow, preferably intercranially or in the arteries of the neck and or upper back, and/or determining relative diameter of those vessels e.g. by magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI) and/or determining evoked potential; PA0 b) treating the patient with an effective dosage of a vasodilator, preferably nitroglycerin administered by patch, preferably at a rate less than about 0.8 mg/hr; PA0 c) re-determining said rate or diameter or potential (collectively "blood flow") after said treatment, to evaluate recurrence of vasospasm; PA0 d) adjusting the dosage in response to the results of the re-determining;
III. Problems Presented by Prior Art
Prior treatment regimens have generally focused on the acute disease while the present invention embodies the discovery that the vasospasms and vascular narrowings are commonly chronic in nature. Further, past dosages have often been excessive and such over-dosages are found by applicant's investigations to actually be harmful in patients at some stages, because such dosages can themselves subtlety promote vasospasms.